Commute From Hudson Valley to NYC To Increase Significantly

On Wednesday, the MTA announced they are sticking with their plan to increase fares by 4% in 2019 and another 4% in 2021.

The fare increase was announced during a board meeting. Specifics on the increases weren't announced and likely won't be known until public hearings in late 2018, NBC reports.

In 2017, fares were increased on Metro-North, subways, buses and the Long Island Railroad by 4%.

Even with the fare increases, the MTA predicts significant deficits for the next few years. The MTA believes they will lose $376 million in fares over the next four years, about $90 million a year, the New York Post reports.

Mass-transit delays, Uber, Lyft and people not paying their fares are a few reasons why profits are down, officials say.

“We’re not unique,” MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said according to the New York Daily News. “That said, I think it’s a combination of a couple of things – it's service, it’s for-hire vehicles, it's fare evasion. When you have choice you take advantage of the choice."